Chinese market electrifying for ‘green’ cars

BEIJING: Government subsidies are fuelling a boom in electric vehicles in China, driving hopes for the industry’s global future as the world’s biggest car market offers economies of scale that could make the technology mainstream.

Sales of electric cars, though still modest, have rocketed four-fold in a year—thanks in part to lavish government handouts—as Beijing looks to cut down on dangerous air pollution that shrouds urban areas.